PHNOM PENH: On the morning of 24 September 1998, after a heavy night of rain, one of the four 40 B rockets flew past the Prime Minister's convoy while he was attending the second parliamentary session in Siem Reap.

A History of the Assassination Attempt on Prime Minister Hun Sen On 24 September 1998.

The Prime Minister often remembers this scary moment, starting on the afternoon of 23 September 1998, when the Prime Minister went to Wat Preah Ang Khmao in Angkor Thom on the way to Bayon Temple to read his fortune from the ancient Khmer leaflet. The fortune told him, "He was put to death, but he did not die, and then he became king."

Upon returning to stay at his hotel on the same night, it rained heavily. The Prime Minister described the heavy rain lasting almost all night until 6 am the next day. The second session of the National Assembly was held at 9 am, with the Prime Minister required to go first, different from the usual procedure where the winning party would go last.

Four minutes before 9 am, while the Prime Minister's convoy was on its way to the palace of King Norodom Sihanouk near Preah Ang Chek Preah Ang Chom Temple, one of four 40 B rockets flew past the front of the Prime Minister’s car and almost hit the windshield. Instead, it flew past and hit a nearby house, killing one child and injuring another person.

At the time the Prime Minister ordered the driver to continue his journey to attend the National Assembly and take oath at the office in front of the Angkor Wat temple. 

The Minister of Information, Khieu Kanharith, was accompanying the Prime Minister at the time, and said that the four 40 B rockets were hidden behind flowers on the side of the road and controlled through a remote. Fortunately, due to the heavy rainfall from the night before, the cable systems of the other three 40 B rockets did not work so that the Prime Minister was able to escape from this disaster.

"Fortunately, because it rained that night, the wiring system was wet and only one rocket launched,” said the Minister of Information. “If all four rockets had launched, the Prime Minister would have been [exploded into] nothing (because his car was a normal Land Cruiser and not armored).”

It has been 24 years since the assassination attempt. One of the suspects involved was Sok Yoeung, a Sam Rainsy Party activist who is currently living in Finland.

The Prime Minister announced, however, that he would not be pursuing those who wanted to assassinate him, despite finding leads in the investigation. 

The blessing of becoming the Prime Minister of a country is not an ordinary blessing. The Prime Minister recalled how in 1992, a Chinese man had predicted that the Prime Minister would have a hard time at the age of 46, but after he passed that age, no one would be able to do anything to hurt him.

The Prime Minister said at an event in Siem Reap in 2018, "If it wasn’t for the rain… maybe the angels are taking care of me or protecting the Kingdom of Angkor, [saying they must protect] this person (the Prime Minister) to suppress infidels […] When [someone tried to assassinate me], I was 46 years old. Since then, those who have wanted to harm me have not been able to succeed.”

“The fortune [I got back then] said ‘he was put to death, but he did not die, and then he became king.’”